We've lived and breathed vending since our humble beginnings as a vending route operator. Re-filling machines with bulk candy, to keep the quarters rolling in, is our forte. According to how our website has grown, greater numbers of customers pay for candy for personal enjoyment, while still retaining numerous vending customers. Hey, if you know your favorite candy, why not buy in bulk to save money! Products normally ship in 2 or fewer business days; all candy falls under the freshness guarantee, and there is zero sales tax!

Why Should I Vend Bulk Candy?

There are several reasons that bulk candy vending can be a good choice. Here are the top ones that we hear from our customers.

Bulk candy has a larger target audience than gumballs or toy capsules. Kids love candy, but so do adults. If you pick the right bulk candy products to vend, you can increase your conversion rate with parents who still crave their favorite candy snacks just as much as any kid.

Candy dispensing wheels offer flexibility. When you are vending candy in your machines it is easy to switch between different types of candy. You can also easily adjust the number of pieces that your candy machine dispenses per vend by adjusting the size of the opening in your candy dispensing wheel. Most other bulk vending items lock you into one item per vend.

Candy is well suited for seasonal operations. With candy you can easily swap products to take advantage of the specific time of year. Sell candy corn during the fall or red hots and conversation hearts in the spring before Valentine’s Day. Candy is very well suited to take advantage of these changes in the season and people are more likely to splurge on a treat if they know it is seasonal and will not be available soon.

Premium candy items can also command higher prices than other vending items. People realize the name brand candy, like Skittles, M&M’s and Reese’s Pieces are expensive and will pay more for these candies than they would for a generic product. These candy manufacturers have spent a fortune advertising their brands to earn recognition with consumers; you can piggy back on that advertising and brand awareness by using name brand candy in your bulk candy machines.

How many pieces of Candy should I vend?

Knowing about how many pieces of candy are in a pound can help vending operators estimate their profit. While there is no consistent answer to exactly how many pieces of candy are in a pound, following are some estimates of some of the best selling candies that can be used to help figure out profitability. Average piece count per pound of select bulk candy items:

• M&Ms (plain) - 500 pieces/lb
• M&Ms (peanut) - 180 pieces/lb
• Reece's Pieces - 566 pieces/lb
• Skittles - 400 pieces/lb
• Runts - 400 pieces/lb
• Mike & Ike's - 225 pieces/lb
• Hot Tamales - 225 pieces/lb
• Chewy Spree - 248 pieces/lb
• Chiclets - 396 pieces/lb
• Polar Mints - 330 pieces/lb
• Boston Baked Beans - 400 pieces/lb
• Good & Plenty's - 390 pieces/lb
• Pucker Ups - 540 pieces/lb

So, for example, if your machine dispenses 8 peanut M&Ms per quarter, you know it will take approximately 23 quarters to go through one pound, which would yield $5.75. If you purchase a 15.75 pound case of peanut M&Ms, it will take approximately 362 quarters until the case is gone. 362 quarters = $90.50. If you purchased the case of M&M's for $64.99, your profit will be approximately $25.51, or 28%. You can apply this same formula to estimate profitability for other candies once you know the pieces per vend amount. To increase profitability, adjust the candy wheel so it dispenses less product per vend. But, keep in mind that dispensing too little product per vend will not attract quarters over the long term.

One final note: Check your bulk candy machines on a regular basis! Bulk candy vendors that are empty or have old looking product are a sure fire way to not make any money. The best way to attract people to your machine is to ensure the machine is operational and the candy looks and tastes fresh!